CBI comments on independent aviation commission announcement

The CBI commented on the announcement of the terms of reference and the membership of the Airports Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies.

Rhian Kelly, CBI Director for Business Environment policy, said:

“We welcome news that the independent airports commission is getting down to work. The enquiry has some difficult questions to tackle, but constraints on airport capacity are already impacting on the UK’s competitiveness, so we can’t afford to duck the tough issues any longer.

“We look forward to supporting Howard Davies and his fellow commissioners as they get started on this important piece of work.”

Notes to Editors:

The CBI has previously outlined its priorities on airport capacity in the short, medium and long-term:

In the short term, the Government must maximise aviation capacity at our existing airports through surface access improvements and allow more flexible use of the two runways at Heathrow through ‘mixed mode’ operations.

In the medium term, we must see new runway capacity to serve the south of the UK – at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham or elsewhere – subject to an urgent review of the most feasible option to address current constraints at Heathrow

In the longer term we need to explore all options, including the development of a new hub airport